Curler



Patented Dec. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES CURLER Stephen F. Kayn, New York, N. Y., assigner to Ross M. McFadden, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application January 27, 1939, Serial No. 253,106

2 Claims.

This invention relates to curlers of the type wherein hair may be air dried upon a tube.

So-called air dry curlers now on the market are subject to certain objections,`in that where 5 an individual curls her hair upon a tube, the hair may be unevenly wound thereon. Unless the hair is evenly distributed upon a tube, the resulting curl will not be as pleasing in appearance as it would otherwise be if the operation of distributing the hair was given more attention.

An object of the present invention is to provide a curler wherein an individual operator may for herself evenly distribute the hair about a curler tube so that the resultant curl will be perfect and a more rapid drying, as well asv permanence of the curl secured. It is ordinary practice after hair has air dried upon a curler tube to comb the curl out but unless the hair has been evenly distributed about the tube, the curl will have a hunched appearance, the ends being more or less frayed, While certain portions appear to have been tightly wrapped. A professional operator is enabled, of course, to evenly distribute hair about a tube, but the individual operator working on the 25v back of the head must observe the position of the hair by means of a mirror. Unless considerable time is spent by the operator, the hair cannot be properly wrapped about the tube.

With the idea of overcoming numerous deciencies above mentioned and others, which are readily known to those who use curlers of the air drying type, I have provided a curler incorporating means in the form of a comb, which may be projected beyond the periphery of the curler tube and retracted within the curler tube. Hence, when the comb is projected beyond the periphery of the tube, the hair is guided by the teeth during wrapping about the tube. The comb may be left in this position and yafter the hair is dry, the comb may be retracted within the tubeso that the hair may readily slide from oil the tube without in any manner disturbing the curl.

The invention provides a device which is simple of structure, inexpensive in cost of manufacture, and generally superior to ordinary curlers.

With the above mentioned and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel and useful provision, formation, construction, association, and relative arrangement of parts, members and features, all as shown in a certain embodiment in the accompanying drawing, described generally, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the improved curler,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the curler shown in Figure 1, the comb being depressed Within thetube,

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, the comb being extended beyond the periphery of the tube,

Figure 4 is a sectional View on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, and,

Figure 5 isa cross sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Referring now with particularity to the drawing, the improved curler'as an entirety is designated by the numeral I, and the same includes a curler tube 2 which may be provided with a plurality of transverse perforations 3 and with a longitudinal slot 4 disposed intermediate end portions 5 and 6 of said tube. As shown in Figure 2, the end portions 5 and 6 in the plane of the slot 4 have inwardly disposed flanged parts 5a and 6a. The curler includes a. finger type jaw 8, which is curved transversely so as to properly overlie the tube when in the position shown in Figure 1, and which jaw is bifurcated at one end to provide two ears 9 and IIJ. These ears are formed with transverse perforations I2 and I3 and whereby a clamp or bail I I may have angularly disposed end members I Ia and IIb passed through said perforations of the jaw for reception within the tube. This clamp or bail may be .formed of resilient wire and given a U-bend at one end, this said portion carrying a resilient latch I4 in the form of a rubber wheel, which rubber wheel may be received in part within the open end 35 of the tube to latch the same, or unlatched from said end to assume the position for said clamp or bail illustrated in Figure 2. This description in part brieiiy describes a curler of the type which is the invention of Ross M. McFadden, as shown by United States Letters Patent Nos. 2,000,893, 2,000,894, and 2,109,218.

The improvements in my saidinvention over the inventions of the patented structures consist in the provision of a tine or comb member I5 adapted to be disposed within the tube or projected beyond the periphery of the tube and longitudinally thereof. This comb may be conventional in that it is provided with a back I6 and the usual teeth I1, and in addition, the comb may be formed of any material'and be relatively thin. The back of the comb isV provided with two or more enlargements I3 and I9 spaced inwardly' from ends thereof. The said comb is adapted in one position to be nested within or projected out- Wardly of an actuating means 20, comprising a member having two spaced apart side walls 2I side walls are provided with pairs of aligned inclined slots 24 and 25. The pairs of slots merge with upper and lower slots 26 and 21, which are parallel to the axis voi the tube 2. Passed through the enlargements I8 and I9 of the back of the comb are transverse pins 28 and 29, and said pins are received and adapted for guiding movement within the slots 24 and 25. The comb actuating means which also functions as a carrier, has its base portion formed with an outward convexity 30 adapted to slidably engage the inner surface of the tube 2 and to have snap engagement within one or the other of two concavities 3| and 32 of the tube.

The operation, uses and advantages of the invention just described are as follows:

Viewing Figure 1, it will be observed that the teeth of the comb are projected outwardly beyond the periphery of the tube 2 and that the comb carrier-extends beyond one end of the tube 2. To permit the carrier to move to the position shown in Figure l, the carrier is provided with a pair of parallel longitudinal slots 33 and 34, through which ends Ila and Ilb of the clamp may be passed, as illustrated in Figure 5, and whereby the comb carrier is limited as to movement in two directions. It is observed that movement of the comb carrier outwardly vof the tube causes the comb to rise from the position oi Figure 2 to that shown in Figures 1 and 3 due to the fact that the comb is held against longitudinal movement within the tube by the end walls or flanges 5a and 5a While the pins 28 and 29 carried by the comb move in the slots 24 and 2li.Y The parallel slots '26 and 21 serve as locking positions for the pins. Thus, when the comb is projected outwardly, an attempt to depress the comb-within the tube is quite impossible due to the fact that the Vpins 28 and 29 are no longer positioned within the inclined slots 24 and 25. To retract the comb within the tube, all that need be done is to push the comb carrier inwardly while holding the tube against movement. After movement of the comb is started, the comb car- A rier may be either pushed inwardly or the comb pushed downwardly by the ngers to cause it to be received within the tube.

In the useof a device of this character, the jaw and the clamp are rst opened, as illustrated in Figure 2, and the comb movedupwardly to the position of Figure 1. A lock of hair is then secured between the jaw and the periphery of the tube and the hair rolled around the tube and over the jaw and between the teeth of the comb, care being exercised to assure that the hair is evenly rolled upon the tube, and received between the teeth of the comb. When the desired roll has been made, the curler will be positioned adjacent the scalp, the clamp is then closed about the curl, the resilient latch holding said clamp against movement by its engagement with thev open end of the tube. It is usual practice to wet the hair prior to rolling it upon the curler. The openings in the tube and the jaw permit air circulation to that portion of the hair which has been wrapped thereabout, as has been described in the patents which I have before mentioned. After the hair has dried, the comb is then moved downwardly within the tube and upon opening the clamp, the curl may slide oi of the tube. It would be quite impossible to move the curl without destroying the same if the comb was left projected outwardly of the tube.

With this invention, I have combined features which permit perfect curls to be formed and the device is so constructed as to not increase the cost of its manufacture appreciably over the ordinary form of air drying curler.

A notable feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the comb member moves substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the tube rather than having any slide movement in the axis of the tube, with the result that the comb member does not disturb the curl in the least, which it would do if the comb member was allowed to have any longitudinal movement. The end walls or flanges which depend within the curler tube effectively guide the comb in its vertical movement inwardly of or outwardly of the tube. The comb is not subject to wobble when projected outwardly from the tube due to the fact that a portion 0f the comb is not only closely conned by the longitudinal slot in the tube, but the back is received between the side walls 20 and 2| of the comb carrier. As before stated, the depressed portions on the inner surface of the tube releasably hold the comb carrier either inwardly or outwardly thereof.

It is possible for a woman to use a device of the character just described and allow the same to remain on her head at night while asleep. After the hair has been properly rolled upon the tube, and likewise permitted to dry slightly, the comb may be depressed within the tube so that the comb will not in any manner injure the scalp or be uncomfortable. Ordinarily, the comb functions to spread the lock of hair properly during a wrapping of the hair about the jaw and the tube, and after such an operation, the comb may be depressed within the tube. However, the sequence of operations will be largely dependent upon the desire of an individual operator.

I claimzl 1. A hair curler of the air-drying type comprising avcurler tube provided with an elongated longitudinal slot, a comb mounted in said tube, an actuator mounted in said tube to actuate said comb to project the teeth of said comb outwardly through saidwslot or to withdraw said teeth inwardly through said slot into said tube, a jaw mounted on said tube for holding a lock of hair on said tube to be curled while the hair is combed evenly over the length of said tube by the teeth of the comb projected from said tube, and a clamp for clamping the combed and curled hair around said tube for drying said hair in a curl.

2. A hair curler comprising a curler tube provided with an elongated longitudinal slot, a comb mounted in said tube, a slidable actuator mounted in said tube for actuating said comb t0 project the teeth of the comb outwardlyrthrough said slot or to Withdraw the teeth ofthe comb inwardly through said slot into said tube, an outward convexity formed on said actuator, and said tube being provided with two concavitics to be engaged by said actuator convexity respectively to hold said comb with its teeth projected outwardly from said tube or to hold said comb with its teeth withdrawn within said tube.

^ STEPHEN F. KAYN. 

